looking back, 'a month of... drawing'

{ A month of... drawing } 1st - 28th February - L to R, top to bottom

How was your weekend? Mine was filled with sunshine, bike rides, tacos, family time, homemade ice-cream (yum!), sleep-ins, watching Argo on dvd and those dreaded domestic chores. Weekends go by far too quickly and before we head further into March here's the wrap-up I mentioned on February's month long project. A project where I challenged myself to do a drawing every single day for a month. That's 28 days of drawing!

This project came about after promising myself at the start of the year to make more time for the things I love, drawing being one of them. I decided to have fun while experimenting with different mediums and to discover if I still enjoyed drawing after doing it daily for a month.

Admittedly there were shaky moments with negative thoughts and drawings didn't turn out as hoped. I thought about quitting but realised the negative thoughts came about when I was focused too much on an outcome, instead of exploring and enjoying the process. Each time I'd gently remind myself why I started the project in the first place and once I'd overcame these thoughts I'd feel better, more energized and fulfilled.

If you've ever read Steven Pressfield's book, The War of Art, you'll know that resistance should be met head on. I highly recommend this book if you think you need a kick-in-the-pants, creative pep talk from time to time.

A quote from the book;

"Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard or smelled. But it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It's a repelling force. It's negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work."

Another great line;

"Resistance is always lying and always full of shit."

While I didn't always sit down for the minimum 30 minutes I originally set out to do - sometimes more, sometimes less - I did draw each day. And when I got to the end of this project I was proud of myself for that. I'd pulled through and didn't quit in-spite of any negative thoughts.

I was reminded how much I love colour and that I still hold a childlike wonder in the ability to mark a page and create an image. Watching an image unfold from mind, to hand, to page is a wondrous thing! It fascinates me. Maybe because I feel I draw better when I put less thought into it. I also discovered a new love for gouache which I can't wait to explorefurther.

Do you have any drawing tips, favourite mediums or perhaps you've done a month long project of your own, I'd really love to know!

I'm a drawer and maker living in Melbourne, Australia. I love illustration, character creation and the magic that happens when creating by hand. Here I'll share with you my creative finds, moments from life and hand made creations of my own. By sharing I hope to inspire and spark imaginations like yours. Thanks for stopping by.